Sheet-feeding-and-marking method and machine



Feb. 26, 1946. L. .MATTHEWS SHEET-FEED1NG-ANDMARKING METHOD AND MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1- Filed July 21, 1941 Feb. 26, 1-946.

L. 1,. MATTliEWS 2,395,490

SHEET-FEEDING-ANDMARKING METHOD AND MACHINE Fild July 21, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR lag 3 fla fzfiews ATTORNEY Feb. 26, 1946.

L. L. MATTHEWS SHEET-FEEDING-ANDMARKING METHOD AND MACHINE Filed July 21, 1941 4 Shets-Sheef 3 Q A AB v/A 47/ Feb. 26, 1946. MATTHEWQ v 2,395,490

SHEET-FEEDING-ANDMARKING METHOD AND MACHINE Filed July 21, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Feb. 26, 1946 SHEET-FEEDING-AND-MARKING METHOD AND MACHINE Louis Landaff Matthews, Westerly, R. I., assignor to. Maxson Automatic Machinery Company, Westerly, R. 1., a corporation of Rhode Island Application July 21, 1941, Serial No. 403,348

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to methods of i and machines for feeding and delivering sheet material, and more particularly to feed-and-delivery attachments for sheet-feed printing presses. From a more specific aspect, the invention relates to presses provided with traveling carriages of the drop-delivery type.

The sheets, as they leave a printing press of this character, may be advanced by feed mechanism to a -table, upon which they are stacked cr piled. This feed mechanism usually comprises a pair of gripping feed rolls mounted over tapes upon the movable carriage. The rolls are actuated toward each other to grip the head end of the sheet when the carriage occupies its rearward limit of movement, nearest the press. The

carriage is then advanced over the table, away from the press, taking the head end of the sheet with it. After the carriage reaches its limit of forward movement, it retraces its path. On the return stroke of the carriage, the rolls travel.

away from the sheet, permitting the sheet to fall on the stack beneath.

The said limit of forward movement, that is, the front end of the stack, or the end farthest from the press, is always fixed in sheet-feed printing presses of this character. The position of the rear end of the stack, that is, the end nearest the press, varies, therefore, with the length of the sheets.

Many proposals have heretofore been made for counting sheets deposited on a stack, and for marking or separating the sheets so deposited into bundles having predetermined numbers of sheets. The marking or separating means have been usually positioned at the rear end of the stack. An adjustable rear end, however, such as obtains with stacks of difierent-length sheets delivered from a printing press, renders prior-art devices of this character very inconvenient. The top tapes of the carriage, moreover, periodically occupy the space that might otherwise be devoted to parts of the operating mechanism.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a novel method of and machine for marking a stack. of sheets from the front. i

A further object is to provide a novel counting mechanism for counting the sheets and a novel mechanism for controlling the marking or separation from this counting mechanism.

Another object is to provide a novel method of and machine for feeding and delivering paper sheets, and for marking or separating the sheets sodelivered into bundles each containing a predetermined number of the sheets.

Other and further objects will be described hereinafter and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an end elevation, with parts broken away, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the novel counter-and-marker attachment of the present invention, the attachment being shown disposed in front of a printing-press stacking mechanism; Fig. 2 is a corresponding side elevation; Fig. 3 is a corresponding enlarged perspective, parts being shown omitted, other parts broken away, and several parts in section, for clearness; Fig. 3a. is a detail perspective of part of the mechanism ofFig. 3, but showing parts not visible in Fig. 3; Fig. 4 is a vertical section, upon a larger scale, taken upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction .of the arrows, and showing more particularly details of the flagging head; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the flagging head, taken upon the line 5 5,of Fig. 4, looking downward in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 6 is a corresponding elevation of the flagging head, looking from the right of Fig. 4; Fig. '7 is ahorizontal section, taken upon the line 1-1 of Fig. 2 or Fig. 8, lookingdo-wnward, in the direction of the arrows, showing more particularly a preferredcontrol mechanism for feeding out separating tags at the proper time; Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the same, taken substantially upon the line 8-8 of Fig. 7, looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 9 is a view diagrammatically illustrating a drop-delivery printing press, with the invention embodied therein. 7

The top sheet 26 of a pile A of paper sheets is fed over a feeder board B to a printing cylinder C of a printing press. Cooperating tapes D then carry the sheet from the cylinder C to a reciprocating carriage E that rolls back and forth on a guide F. This ba-ck-and-forth rolling of the carriage E is brought about by means of connecting rods G, designed to produce one stroke for each revolution of the cylinder C.

In printing-press extension deliveries of the above-described character, the traveling carriages are each provided with a toptape wheel orroll 3 and lower wheels or rolls 4, with tapes disposed around the lower wheels or rolls 4. These carriages may travel back and forthbtween the press'and a front-stop board 2 on the press piler or stacker shown disposed adjacent to a pipe girt or tie rod l at the front end of the piling or stackingmechanism.

At the time that a sheet 26 leaves the cylinder C to arrive at the. tapes D, the carriage E occupies the dotted-line position illustrated in Fig. 9. The sheet therefore becomes deposited by the tapes D on the tapes of the carriage E, with the head of the sheet positioned between the wheels 3 and 4 and th tapes D. The carriage E is now ready to make its forward stroke, away from the press and its cylinder 0, and toward the front stop-board 2.

During this forward stroke of the carriage E, with the sheet 26 carried thereby, in machines of this character, the tapes D and the wheels 3 and 4 are held against movement. The carriage E therefore advances with the head of the sheet 25 gripped between the wheels 3 and 4 and the tapes D, until it assumes its full-line position, over a pile or stack 5 of sheets. The pile or stack 5 is usually portably supported on the bed or other base support of the machine. In this full-line position of the carriage E over the pile or stack 5, the head of the sheet 26 may contact with the front stop-board 2.

The tapes D and the rolls 3 and 4 are set into motion again just prior to the return or back stroke of the carriage E toward the press and its cylinder C, from the full-line to the dotted-line position of the carriage E. During such return stroke of the carriage E, the rolls 3 and 4 and the tapes D are caused to be actuated, so as not only to release the sheet 26, but also to feed it positively forward with respect to the retreating carriage E. The sheet '26 thus drops on to the pile or stack 5 below. The speed of this actuation,,during this return stroke of the carriage E, is such that the head of the sheet 26 may maintain its position near the front stop-board 2.

First, therefore, the head of the sheet 26 drops on to the 'pile or stack 5, and then the successive body portions of the sheet, until the whole sheet becomes deposited on the pile or stack 5. The

sheets '26 become thus stacked 'inthe pile or stack 5, each on top of the previously fed sheet, with the underface of each sheet in face-to-face contact with the upper face of the previously fed sheet.

As the sheets are thus delivered to the stack or pile 5, they are automatically counted; and thin paper marking tags 43, relatively very small compared to the size of the sheets 25 of the stack 5, are automatically inserted between predetermined adjacent sheets 25 at the completion of each count to separate or mark the bundles of sheets so delivered and counted.

The improved =counting-and-marking mechanism, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated and'described herein, is shown mounted upon 'a support or side bearing 8 that is integral with, or bolted to, a side bracket '1. The bracket 1, which is bolted to the press girt by a clamp 15, supports also a motor or other power source 9,

fas well as other mechanism. The shaft of the {motor 9 carries a sprocket I that is connected by a sprocket chain H to a sprocket I2 upon a shaft I-3. The shaft |3 is thusconstantly driven fromthe motor 9. A gear i4, that is fixed to the shaft '13, meshes with a gear t that is loosely mounted upon a shaft [5. The gear I 5 ithusconstitutes a constantly rotating portion 'of :outer 'disc or shell mechanism '34 that, normally :rotatingiloosely about the shaft 1:6, is employed to time I the feeding out of marking tags between adjacent sheets of the stack, 35 hereinafter :more fully described.

v The gear I4 is the only ielemen'tthat is fixed to the shaft |3. A ratchet wheel I! is mounted lboosely on Ithezshaft 13 adjacent to the gear to operate as an ordinary escapement. The ratchet wheel I1 is actuated step by step by a fork-shaped pendulum 12, one leg 20 of which is normally held in engagement with a tooth of the ratchet wheel H, to prevent rotation of the ratchet Wheel by a spring 2 I. The pendulum 12 may, however, be swung over, in opposition to the action of the spring 2|, as hereinafter described, to releas the tooth of the ratchet wheel I! that the said leg 29 of the pendulum happens to engage. The other leg 10 of the pendulum will then engage a tooth of the ratchet wheel, as illustrated.

During this disengagement of a tooth of the ratchet wheel I! by the one leg 20 of the pendulum 12, and the engagement of another tooth by the other leg 10, the ratchet wheel I? has been permitted to rotate to the extent of one-half tooth, and one-half tooth only. When the spring 2| is permitted to restore the pendulum 12 to its normal position, the said other leg 10 of the pendulum will release the ratchet wheel l1 and the first-named leg ill] will re-engage it. The ratchet wheel I! will thus again be permitted to advance to the extent of a half-tooth and a halftooth only.

The pendulum 12 may be actuated in opposition to the action of the spring 2|, in any desired manner; as hereinafter described this may be effected by means of an electric-relay switch mechanism H that is equipped with normally noncontacting feeler probes 24 and 25. The feeler probes 24 and 25 are shown positioned slightly in advance of the limiting position of advance of the rolls 3'and 4 in the paths of advance of the t heads of the sheets 23. It is preferred to employ a relay that passes very little current through the probes. As illustrated, the probe 25 is horizontally disposed in a recess of the board 2, and the probe 24, also supported by the board 2, normally hangs vertically in front of the probe 25, a short side bearing 8.. It is shown provided with a' casing from the interiorof which conducting wires 22 and 23 extend to the probes 24 and 25;

Each time that'a sheet 26 is carried forward by the rolls 3 and 4 of the press delivery, to the fulll-ine position of Fig. 9, the head of the sheet,

shown protruding somewhat in front of the rolls 3 and 4, engages the vertically hanging probe 24 to actuate it toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, into contact with the horizontally disposed probe 25. The circuit of a solenoid 21 becomes thereupon closed. The resulting electrical impulse actuat'es, to the right, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3a, into the solenoid 21, an armature attached to a rod 28 that is connected to the pendulum 12, and which actuates the pendulum through a halfstroke, .as before described, in opposition to the actionof :the spring 2].. Upon the disengagement of the-probes 24 and :25, the spring 2| restores the pendulum to its normal position, as before ;described; The pendulum 32 isthus actuated back and forth, step bystep, to-advance the ratchet :a'

tooth at a ti-me,in.one direction bythe spring 2|, and in the other electromagnetically.

The press-delivery carriage E, with its wheels 3 V solenoid 21. The spring 2| becomes thereupon enabled to return the pendulum 12 to its normal position.

The ratchet wheel I! becomes thus rotated through an angle corresponding to one tooth, corresponding to each complete oscillation of the pendulum, each time that the head of a sheet 26 engages the probe 24. Upon the completion of the feeding of the sheet, and to each consequent engagement of the probes 24 and 25, there corresponds a unit count of the counter.

If, through some error, the rolls 3 and 4 fail to grip a sheet, the delivery carriagev will still advance,'but there will be no sheet for causing engagement of the probes 24 and 25. Only those sheets can be counted, therefore, that are actually delivered to the stack 5.

A gear l8, loosely mounted, like the ratchet wheel H, on the shaft 13, is held frictionally and yieldingly against the side of the ratchet wheel H by a spring l9, coiled about the shaft 13, as more particularly shown in Figs. 1 and 3a. The frictional side tension thus produced by the spring 19 upon the ratchet wheel I! by contact with the gear wheel I 8 results in a tendency for the gear I8 to rotate with the ratchet wheel H. In effect, therefore, the gear 18 is fastened to the ratchet wheel l1, so as to rotate therewith, a step at a time.

The side tension on the gear l8, caused 'by spring I 9, also presses the ratchet I I, through the gear l8, against the gear l4. As the gear I4 is constantly turning, this side friction not only makes the gear [8 follow the ratchet H, but

it makes the ratchet l1 always try to follow the gear l4, so that the ratchet tooth is thus held with a little pressure against the one leg of the pendulum. This provides an easy load, so that a very delicate pendulum 12 may be employed, yet permitting the ratchet always to follow when released by the pendulum leg 20.

Assuming, for purposes of illustration, that it is desired to tag every 50 sheets, the ratchet wheel I! may, for example, be provided with 25 teeth and the gear 18 with teeth. The gear [8 may mesh with a gear 29 having 20 teeth. When the ratchet wheel I! has made two revolutions, therefore, corresponding to a count of 50 sheets, the gear l8 will likewise have made two revolutions, but the gear 29 only a single revolution. The taginserting mechanism should, therefore, be actuated once to every rotation of the'gear 29. This actuation of the tag-inserting mechanism is effected through the medium of a cam 38, having a single drop-off point, and fastened at 69 to, so as to rotate with, the gear 29.

One end of a bell-crank lever 3|, intermediately pivoted at 32, is in continuous engagement with the cam 38. When the said drop-off point of the cam 30 becomes engaged under the said one end of the lever 3|, a pin 33 at the other end of the lever rises. The raising of this pin 33 controls the setting into operation of the tag-inserting mechanism.

A pawl is pivoted about a stud 35 disposed at one side of the before-mentioned outer disc or shell mechanism 34 that constantly rotates loosely about the shaft 16 with the gear !5. The pawl 35 is normally biased about its pivotal stud 36 by a spring 31, as more particularly illustrated in Figs. 3, 7 and 8, into engagement with a lug 4| that is normally maintained on the opposite side of the shell 34.

The outer shell 34 is loosely provided interiorly with an inner shell 39 that is normally prevented from rotating in the outer shell 34 by the pin 33 engaging a lug 48. The lug 43 is integral with the inner shell 39. At this time, the lug 4! is disposed alongside a lug 38, that is fastened to the shaft It, thus preventing the pawl 35 from engaging the lug 38.

When the drop-01f point of the cam 30 becomes positioned under the said one arm of the bellcrank lever 3|, however, permitting raising of the pin 33, the shell 39 becomes rotated, by frictional contact with the outer shell 34 in which it is disposed, until the lug 42 strikes the pin 33. This enables the pawl 35 to engage the lug 38, forcing the shaft IE to make a three-quarters turn. This results in feeding out rapidly over the top sheet of the pile 5 the end of a strip or web 48 from a roll 45 of paper. The roll 45 of paper is shown more particularly in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 as mounted upon a. stud 45 between side plates 41 of a flagging head comprising a side bracket 44. The free end of the web or strip 48 is automatically intermittently advanced, at the proper time, by feed rolls 52 and 53, into the flagging head, between two thin metal confining strips or guide tongues 49 and 58, and in between a stationary knife 5i and a movable knife 63. The feed rolls 52 and 53 are provided with matching grooves 58 and 59, respectively, to receive the confining tongues 49 and 50. The grooves 58 and 59 are narrower than the width of the web 48, which enables the feed rolls 52 and 53 to grip the web along the margins. This obviates danger of the web 48 sticking between the guide tongues 49 and 5B. The tongues 49 and 58 are disposed just far enough apart sothat the web 48 shall travel smoothly through between them, without doubling up or crinkling.

Notwithstanding that the free end of the web 43 has thus been advanced into contact with the upper face of the uppermost sheet 26 of the stack 5, and prior to the stacking of the next-following sheet 25 into face-to-face contact with the said uppermost sheet, it is stilltoo early to sever the web 48, as either the severing or the said next- 5 following sheet 26 might pull the severed end of the web 48 out of place. After a few more sheets 26 have been deposited upon the top of the pile or stack 5, however, their combined weight will serve to hold the free end of the strip 48 steady in place. During this time, the shaft I6 is held in the position that it assumed at the time that 'the web 48 was first fed out, a three-quarters turn away from its normal position. After these several additional sheets 25 have been deposited on top of the pile or stack 5, serving to steady the said free end of the web 48, the time is ripe to sever the said free end, to form a tag 43.

The desired operation is brought about because, during the time when the pin 33 is holding against the lug 42, the lug 4| is protecting the lug 38 in its new position, so that it cannot become engaged by the pawl 35. In due course, the cam 38, which has meanwhile beenadvanced, step by step, with the gear 29 to which it is fastened,

' has reached a position such thatthe lever 3| b comes again raised. This results in releasing the pin 33 from the lug 42, whereupon the inner shell 39 is caused, by friction with the outer shell 34, to rotate through its remaining quarter turn, resulting in the knives 5i and 63 severing the end of the strip 48.

The severed end of the strip 48, as before stated, constitutes a tag 43. A tag 43 is thus inserted at the end of every contacts between the probes 24 and 25, in contact with the uppermost face The upper roll 53 is mounted upon zaapivote'd bracket 56 so .as to 'be held yieldingly in engageprovided with agear 55 that meshes with a gear .55 upon the upper roll 53. It is sufficient,therefore, in order to feed the web 48, to rotate intermittently the lowerfeed roll :52 only through the shaft It, the upper feed 1011' 53 being rotatably actuated with .it through the intermeshing engagement -of the gears :54 and 55, and the two z-feed rolls 52 and 53 together positively pulling the'web 48 rapidly through between them at the proper time.

' The feed roll 52 is provided :at its "side with ;a l-cam iifl that,-at:a predetermined-pointin its rotation, operates .a lever fi l, intermediately pivoted at :57, :by engaging the lever '61 on one side of the pivot 61 Thecamtfi thenactuates the lever ti about the pivot'E'Lin opposition to the action of -a spring 58. A pin 62 at the end of the 'lever 16] on the other side of the pivot 6 1 thereupon engages the walls of an opening in the knife =63 in which it is disposed to pivot the knife 63 :upward about itsfpivot The knife 6-3 is thus caused to cooperate with the stationary knife to sever the ,endof the strips-8 toproducea tag '45.-

During the operation of the knife .63, the portion of the web 48 that is disposed between the feed rolls .52 and 53 rests still upon a flattened portion 65 provided-upon the feed roll 52. At this time, the flattened portion 65 is disposed opposite to the feed roll This prevents feeding the strip further during the cutting operation "of the ,kn'ife6'3.

Thek-nife this thus operated in timed'relation to the operation of the feed rolls =52 and 53 by the shaft 16, which first operates through about three-quarters -of a revolution to cause the feed rolls 52 'and'53 to feed the end of the web Hover the pile 5, and then remains stationary until the desired number :of sheets has been fed over the end of the web 48 1611 the pile 5, and whichpiv- :otal-ly operates through the remaining quarter revolution to cause the knife 63 to sever the =end of the 'web to produce a tag #3.

Modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art, and all such modifications are considered to fall within the spirit and scope -of the invention, as defined in the 'appendedclaims.

\ What is claimed is: Y

1. Amachine of the class described having, in combination, means for gripping -the head of each =of a plurality of sheets, means for advancing 'thegripping means to feed the sheets, means for limiting the advance of the gripping means, means disposed in advance of the limiting position'ofsthe-gripping means in the path of advance 'of the headsof the sheets so as to be engaged by "the :heads of the sheets, and means controlled by the last-namedmeans forcounting the sheets.

2. Amachine of the class described having, in combination, means for gripping the head of each "of a plurality of sheets, means for advancing the gripping means to feed-the sheets, means for limiting the advance of the gripping means, means disposed in advance of the limiting position vof the gripping means in .thepath of advance of the heads of the sheets so as to be engaged by theheads .of the sheets, means controlled by the last-named meansfQrcQunt-ing the sheets, :means of the sheet :25 pver --which ztheifree :end of the webhas been fed, and with the underface f the next-following sheet 26.

for stacking the sheets; :and :means controlledby the counting means ;for inserting .a tag hetween adjacent predetermined counted sheets nf the stack at thehead-ends of theadl'acentsheets.

,3. Amethod-of feeding-and-stacking*sheetsland -marking the stacked sheets that comprises feeding a plurality of sheets with the head :ends :of

the :sheets disposed forward in the direction ;of

* feed, stacking the-sheets each :on top'ofthe previously'fedsheet with the underface of :each sheet in face-to-face contact with the upper face :of

the previously fed sheet-and inserting iarelatively small'tag compared to the size *of. the :sheetsza't the head endsxof the sheets :into contact with the upper face of one of thesheets prior to-thestacking of the next-following sheet intoface-toefa'ce' contact therewith, whereby the .tag becomespo- :sitioned between the said-one :sheet and the .said nextefollowing sheet-at the headends thereof *in contact withithe upper face of the :said one :sheet and :the underface .of the said next-following sheet.

4. -A method of feedingzand stackingshetssand marking the stacked sheets that comprises :fee'd ing. a plurality of sheets with the head ends :of

the sheets disposed forward in the direction of feed, stacking the sheets each on top of the ,pre-

viously fed sheet withtheunderface of each-sheet in face-to-face contact with the upper face of the previously fed sheet, inserting the end of a strip at the head ends of the sheets into contact with the upper face of one of the sheetsprior to the stacking of the next-following sheet into faceto-face contact therewith, and severing the inserted end .of the strip, whereby the severed end of the strip becomes positioned between "the said one sheet and the said next-following sheet-at the head ends thereof in contact with the upper face of the said one sheet and the underface of the said next-following sheet.

5. A machine for feeding and stacking sheets and marking the stacked sheets having, in combination, a support, means for feeding a plurality of sheets with the head ends of the sheets disposed forward in the direction -of feed each from one position 'to a second position over the support and for thereupon depositing thesheets sheets in contact with the upper face of the said one sheet and the under-face 10f the said nextfollowing sheet.

"6. A machine for feeding :and stacking sheets and marking the stacked sheets having,,in combination, means for gripping the heads of each of a plurality of sheets, means foradvanci-ng the gripping .means to feed the-sheets with the head ends of the sheets edisposed forward in the direction of feed each ,from one position to :a second position, .means for limiting the advance of the grippingmeans at the second position, means disposed in advance of the limiting position of the ,gripping means in the pathlof advanceof the heads of the sheets so as to ,be -engaged ,by the heads of the sheets at ,thesecond pbsitiommeans ,for stacking thesheets each on top ,of the previously fed sheet with the underface of each sheet in face-to-face contact with the upper face of the previously fed sheet, and means controlled by the sheet-engaging means for inserting a tag at the head ends of the sheets into contact with the upper face of one of the sheets prior to the stacking of the next-following sheet into face-to-face contact therewith, whereby the tag becomes positioned between the said one sheet and the said next following sheet at the head ends of the sheets in contact with the upper face of the said one sheet and the underface of the said nextfollowing sheet.

7. In a printing press, printing mechanism, a support, a carriage, means Ior feeding sheets from the printing mechanism to the carriage, means for gripping the sheets on the carriage, means for actuating the carriage forward away from the printing mechanism to a position over the support to feed the sheets with the head ends of the sheets disposed forward in the direction of feed and then rearward toward the printing mechanism, means for releasing the gripping means when the carriage occupies the said position to cause the sheets to become deposited each upon the previously fed sheet to stack the sheets upon the support with the underface of each sheet in face-to-face contact with the upper face of the previously fed sheet, and means for inserting a tag at the head ends of the sheets into contact with the upper face of one of the sheets prior to the stacking of the next-following sheet into face-to-face contact therewith, whereby the tag becomes positioned between the said one sheet and the said next-following sheet at the head ends of the sheets in contact with the upper face of the said one sheet and the underface of the said next-following sheet.

LOUIS L. MATTHEWS. 

